SC

Candidates Eye GOP Ag Nomination

A pair of Republicans in the S.C. General Assembly – one Senator and one House member – are eyeing the position of S.C. Agriculture Commissioner in the upcoming election, sources tell FITS. Their thinking? That current Ag Commissioner Hugh Weathers has been a disaster in this $92,007 a year (not…

A pair of Republicans in the S.C. General Assembly – one Senator and one House member – are eyeing the position of S.C. Agriculture Commissioner in the upcoming election, sources tell FITS.

Their thinking? That current Ag Commissioner Hugh Weathers has been a disaster in this $92,007 a year (not counting benefits) position – and needs to go.

They would be correct. Weathers has been a disaster – as evidenced by the ridiculous taxpayer-funded “SC Grown” program his agency has run (as well as his epic mismanagement of the state’s portion of the S.C. Farmers’ Market).

And he does need to go …

Of course it’s not entirely clear whether Weathers (get it … “whether Weathers?” hahahahahahaha) is even planning to run again. He hasn’t received a campaign contribution since last February and only has $105,000 in the bank for his reelection.

Sensing an opening, S.C. Senator Danny Verdin (R-Laurens) and S.C. Rep. Mac Toole (RINO-Lexington) are both putting out feelers for the post – with Verdin reportedly receiving some early financial commitments that would give him a decisive advantage for the post.

Verdin is a fairly solid fiscal conservative, and so his candidacy would obviously appeal to us … were this an office we believed ought to exist in the first place.

Seriously, people … what is it about this industry that warrants ongoing subsidization? Or the ongoing subsidization of a bureaucracy dedicated to its “advancement?”

Nothing … absolutely nothing.

Yet for reasons surpassing understanding, taxpayers are poised to shell out $16.2 million in the coming fiscal year’s budget (an increase of $3.1 million from the previous year’s budget).

Ridiculous. Every red cent of that funding should be eliminated – with the resulting surplus placed into a taxpayer rebate fund.

***

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28 comments

Matt April 18, 2013 at 7:31 pm

I’d vote to Verdin for the post…pretty good guy.

Reply
Matt April 18, 2013 at 7:31 pm

I’d vote to Verdin for the post…pretty good guy.

Reply
David Carter April 18, 2013 at 7:35 pm

I would vote for Verdin in a heartbeat.

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David Carter April 18, 2013 at 7:35 pm

I would vote for Verdin in a heartbeat.

Reply
CNSYD April 18, 2013 at 8:10 pm

What are the details of that taxpayer rebate fund? I can’t seem to locate your detailed explanation of how it will work.

Reply
9" April 21, 2013 at 2:30 pm

you mail in your rebate form,just like they used to have at circuit city,but it probably won’t come.fits thinks a country as big as the usa can work w/o a government…,and he’s constantly outraged by hypocrisy and corruption,but he’s gonna end it…

Reply
CNSYD April 18, 2013 at 8:10 pm

What are the details of that taxpayer rebate fund? I can’t seem to locate your detailed explanation of how it will work.

Reply
9" April 21, 2013 at 2:30 pm

you mail in your rebate form,just like they used to have at circuit city,but it probably won’t come.fits thinks a country as big as the usa can work w/o a government…,and he’s constantly outraged by hypocrisy and corruption,but he’s gonna end it…

Reply
Fleet April 18, 2013 at 8:29 pm

Karen Kanes Floyd needs to run. She knows as much about education as she does agriculture.

Reply
Fleet April 18, 2013 at 8:29 pm

Karen Kanes Floyd needs to run. She knows as much about education as she does agriculture.

Reply
Phil April 18, 2013 at 9:55 pm

Weathers is having his office remodeled right now.
His a disaster.
Dump him.

Reply
Phil April 18, 2013 at 9:55 pm

Weathers is having his office remodeled right now.
His a disaster.
Dump him.

Reply
upstate April 18, 2013 at 10:44 pm

Verdin is a great guy, known him for years. His only issue is that there isn’t a whole lot of farming going on in the upstate, which will make it difficult to raise the funds that that Weathers can pull in. His wife is a bit of a flake, which also doesn’t help.

My theory on Weathers is that he just doesn’t give a shit. He has plenty of $ from both sides of his family, and is likely just using the post to better position himself for future private sector conquests. Which also explains why he may be holding off on fund raising. A few calls and he can fill his account for a solid run in a matter of days.

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Gamercock April 19, 2013 at 6:22 pm

Sig Heil! Herr Verdin.

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upstate April 18, 2013 at 10:44 pm

Verdin is a great guy, known him for years. His only issue is that there isn’t a whole lot of farming going on in the upstate, which will make it difficult to raise the funds that that Weathers can pull in. His wife is a bit of a flake, which also doesn’t help.

My theory on Weathers is that he just doesn’t give a shit. He has plenty of $ from both sides of his family, and is likely just using the post to better position himself for future private sector conquests. Which also explains why he may be holding off on fund raising. A few calls and he can fill his account for a solid run in a matter of days.

Reply
Gamercock April 19, 2013 at 6:22 pm

Sig Heil! Herr Verdin.

Reply
Plebius April 18, 2013 at 11:04 pm

Pretty obvious the Peelers are waving the waste management “green flag” for Commissioner Verdin as he chugalugs along in the senate right now with their bill- plowing in all the dewatered human fecal matter from NYC that’ll be forced on cities and counties.

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Plebius April 18, 2013 at 11:04 pm

Pretty obvious the Peelers are waving the waste management “green flag” for Commissioner Verdin as he chugalugs along in the senate right now with their bill- plowing in all the dewatered human fecal matter from NYC that’ll be forced on cities and counties.

Reply
Fastmouth April 19, 2013 at 6:33 am

I have been involved in the agriculture industry for years. The Ag Department has a lot of wasteful spending. 1. Market news is joke – those livestock market reporters need to go. A couple of the market operators pay them off to record higher prices so they will get bigger runs of cattle. 2. The weights and measures division is a scam. One of the weight and scale inspectors in the Pee Dee works a couple of hours in the morning and then takes a 2 hour lunch at the local buffet. There’s absolutely no telling how many of the scale inspectors that we the taxpayers are paying disability benefits on. They claim to have hurt their backs – yeah, right. I say just do away with the entire department – but that wouldn’t suit everybody.

Reply
Fastmouth April 19, 2013 at 6:33 am

I have been involved in the agriculture industry for years. The Ag Department has a lot of wasteful spending. 1. Market news is joke – those livestock market reporters need to go. A couple of the market operators pay them off to record higher prices so they will get bigger runs of cattle. 2. The weights and measures division is a scam. One of the weight and scale inspectors in the Pee Dee works a couple of hours in the morning and then takes a 2 hour lunch at the local buffet. There’s absolutely no telling how many of the scale inspectors that we the taxpayers are paying disability benefits on. They claim to have hurt their backs – yeah, right. I say just do away with the entire department – but that wouldn’t suit everybody.

Reply
tomstickler April 19, 2013 at 11:10 am

Here’s a good question.

When was the last time anyone reading this actually witnessed an Ag Dept inspector checking a gas pump for accuracy prior to affixing the inspection sticker?

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Merde deChaval April 19, 2013 at 4:35 pm

Go to any garden or “big box” store and buy a big bag of “cow manure” labeled as a fertilizer and thus supposedly inspected for true content by SCDA. Then try to figure out how copious sand and ground pine bark must somehow predominate in cattle rations nowadays. Ripoff artists hiding behind fraudulent regulation. Do the job or disband the program.

Reply
tomstickler April 19, 2013 at 11:10 am

Here’s a good question.

When was the last time anyone reading this actually witnessed an Ag Dept inspector checking a gas pump for accuracy prior to affixing the inspection sticker?

Reply
Merde deChaval April 19, 2013 at 4:35 pm

Go to any garden or “big box” store and buy a big bag of “cow manure” labeled as a fertilizer and thus supposedly inspected for true content by SCDA. Then try to figure out how copious sand and ground pine bark must somehow predominate in cattle rations nowadays. Ripoff artists hiding behind fraudulent regulation. Do the job or disband the program.

Reply
Jimmy April 19, 2013 at 11:13 am

Verdin was telling everybody he was running 4 years ago too.

Reply
Jimmy April 19, 2013 at 11:13 am

Verdin was telling everybody he was running 4 years ago too.

Reply
9" April 21, 2013 at 2:17 pm

the agriculture commissioner needs a party affiliation ? ‘green acres’ is the place to be…
yahoo,ya’ll

Reply
9" April 21, 2013 at 2:17 pm

the agriculture commissioner needs a party affiliation ? ‘green acres’ is the place to be…
yahoo,ya’ll

Reply

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